Uni Accommodation Contract Release

[UniUniUniUni]

My daughter is in her first year of uni and rents a room in halls. Her Uni is located in the next town, a 40 minute train ride away. Since last May (before she started Uni) she’s had debilitating pains and after many many doctors visits she has been diagnosed with an illness. Whilst the illness itself is not particularly serious, it’s a long term illness, and her symptoms are very IBS like, and cause her a great deal of pain and discomfort and to become very fatigued, amongst other things. There is no cure, it’s just something that has to be managed.
So, we are trying to see if we can release her from her accommodation contract so that she can live at home and travel to Uni twice a week or so. Of course they do not want to release her from it, but have suggested she get a doctors note to confirm her condition. The doctor has written a very curt message back to her to say they are very busy and basically to not bother them.

Has anyone been in this situation or know whether its reasonable to ask the gp to write some sort of note? Apparently the accommodation people said other people have managed to do this in the past. Any advice would be gratefully received.

Or are we being unreasonable to ask the gp to write a note and to expect the Uni to release her from the contract?

It should be on nhs app from where you can download and/or print a copy.

Would not be surprised if was a standard template rejection letter. Most surgeries have a library of these for inappropriate requests .

Still took the time to fill in the blanks in the letter.

In this case to someone who has just found out she has a cronic condition who will end up as a frequent flyer

Interestingly on the same day that OP posted this , there was a post on a doctor mums forum saying that they were inundated with requests for letters of this type. Lots of GPs and specialists said the same and the bottom line is that this is unpaid work and they don’t have time to do it.
Most people now have a template to say no they can’t do it. Some GP practices charge.

I filled in a clinical form ( individual funding request ) for a patient after a GP wrongly refused to do it. It was too complicated for my PA to do. It took me 30 mins and I thought never again….

There are definitely 2 sides to a problem like this.

Hi OP. Is your daughter on Facebook at all. My DS left uni mid term last year and another student whom wanted to leave his current accommodation took moved into my DS accommodation and took over his contract. He advertised it on the uni Facebook page.

May. Be worth a look.

Surely she has been diagnosed by a consultant (presuming this is crohns or Uc or similar) just download the nhs app like others have suggested and download the pdf of the notes / consultants letter to the GP with results

GP will usually do this kind of thing after hours for a charge. I had to pay £50 for a note to say my daughter was to be excused from PE (I had to ask him to redraft it as it contradicted itself).

And it comes under managing the person not the condition so a GPs surgery with ongoing responsibility would appear where it should slot in. Or specialists/hospital doctors get tasked with a template for two letter report first being condition and date and generic rating of no to high impact on lifestyle plus the regular letter to the GP.
And there is a clear need if doctors are being inundated.

And once doctors are employees they are being (should be) paid for its on the clock. It reduces their availability. And GPs should be able to charge a fee as its a consultation

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross suggested looking to the app to get proof but the note may be too detailed under Data Protection rules to be used by third parties.

I had to phone the GP twice on the same question when filling in a driving licence renewal for someone as it asked medical questions not included on the medical cert the doctor filled in so that was adding up to extra time needed to fill in the certification by a doctor.

You're under contract, it's to protect you and the landlord. Why should the landlord miss out on their rent? Unless you can find someone to fill your daughter's space then you just have to suck it up and pay.

Hi all, thank you for your replies. I do agree with what a lot of your are saying, it’s a contract and she and the Uni both entered into it. I also understand doctors are busy, and I don’t really feel comfortable bothering someone already really busy, it’s a shame the email was so abrupt but we’ll get over that! I think as many have suggested we’ll try and go down the Facebook route and see if we can find someone else to take over, not sure of the chances of this at this stage im the year but we can but try.

Gps usually charge for letters as it takes so much time. However if private company it's unlikely they let your daughter out of a legal contact. Can she find someone to take over the contract...I've seen people asking on my local town Facebook page . ...not sure how successful.

If they’re popular halls, she may be able to find another student who wanted to sublet the room. It might be worth advertising on the university sites.

Usually NHS GPs will charge a fee for services like this (£50 seems to be standard) It’s the same sort of situation as needing to provide evidence for travel insurance- not part of their NHS contractual duties.

I reckon if you make clear that you were willing to pay for the service, you’ll find they have the time to write the letter.